This operating reserve provides stand-by power in the event of an emergency, such as a power-plant shutdown or the loss of a transmission line. Ontario's current operating reserve is about 1,400 MW -- or one and a half times the size of the largest generating unit in the province.

-- Collaborate on oil and gas issues, such as responding to TransCanada's Energy East pipeline application to the National Energy Board and conducting a joint study on the competitiveness of the provinces' petroleum refining and petrochemical sectors

As well, the provinces have agreed to collaborate, through the Canadian Council of Ministers of the Environment and through the Council of the Federation, to support a continuous dialogue on climate change and to ensure the Canadian Energy Strategy being developed takes climate-change objectives into account.

Smart investments in public infrastructure are critical to driving economic growth. Reliable and resilient infrastructure boosts productivity, helps manage congestion and enables goods to get to market faster.

Federal funding needs to be adequate and permanent to help maintain existing infrastructure and build the new infrastructure that will help us to continue to attract investment and compete globally. Currently, the federal government's contribution is significantly less than the amount of benefit it derives from provincial infrastructure investments.

The federal infrastructure transfer also needs to be flexible, in order to support provinces' established infrastructure plans and priorities such as investments in public transit, in northern and maritime infrastructure. Currently, provinces are required to negotiate federal contributions on a project-by-project basis, which can often lead to unnecessary delays in project approvals.

At the same time, the federal government needs to increase its investments in its own assets and in other areas of responsibility, including First Nations infrastructure on-reserve, such as clean drinking water.

-- Ensure that economic and environmental risks and responsibilities, including remediation, should be borne exclusively by the pipeline companies in the event of a leak or spill on ground or water, and provide financial assurance demonstrating their capability to respond to leaks and spills

The provinces signed a declaration that recognizes the key role played by the Francophones in the founding and building of modern Canada, and their importance to Canada's future and that Francophonie is a fundamental characteristic of the Canadian identity.

-- Promote exchanges between young Ontario Francophones, those attending French immersion classes and young Quebecois to give youth in each province experience in and greater understanding of life in the other province

-- Call on the federal government to act quickly on Francophone immigration so that the demographic weight of Francophones is maintained across Canada

-- Call on the federal government to provide support to Radio-Canada consistent with its mandate to offer radio and television services in French across Canada in order to reflect the specific needs of Francophones